Sport Fishing USA — January 2018

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PORT ASHTON LODGE

907-715-7117

The lodge is on a remote island on the outer fringes of Prince William Sound in Sawmill

Bay, close to excellent fishing in waters bordering the Gulf of Alaska.

ACCESS: There are no roads to the lodge; the village of

Chenega, with a state-maintained airstrip and ferry service,

is 2½miles away. Guests often arrive by floatplane or can be

picked up by boat at Chenega Bay to make the short run to

the lodge.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Five cabins total, four of which can

handle up to six guests.

SPORT-FISHING FLEET: The lodge does not have its own

fleet and instead arranges fishing excursions with charter-

boat operators.

TACKLE AND BAITS: For kings, Capt. Andy Mezirow, of

Crackerjack Charters, favors Seeker downrigger rods with

Accurate Valiant BV2-500N reels for trolling and 11-foot

TFO rods with Islander reels for mooching. For king and

silver salmon lures, Mezirow prefers Pesca spoons or Arctic

Fox trolling flies. He also trolls with cut-plug herring behind

11-inch flashers.

PRIMARY FISHING GROUNDS: Passages near the

lodge in Prince William Sound, or a 30-minute run to

Montague Island.

TARGETED SPECIES: King salmon, silver salmon, halibut,

lingcod and many species of rockfish.

SEASON: June is prime for kings; silvers and schools of

lingcod show up in increasing numbers then as well; halibut

and rockfish all summer.

RATES: One or two guests in one of the cabins for $312 per

night, and up to seven in three larger cabins at $156

per person. Catered meals are extra, as are charter fees

for fishing.

COMMENTS: Dockside fish-cleaning station, limited Wi-Fi,

saltwater hot tub.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Doug Kelly is a freelance outdoor and travel writer. He’s the author of two books: Florida’s Fishing Legends and Pioneers

(2011, University Press of Florida) and Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends (2016, University of Alaska Press), both first-

place winners of the Southeast Outdoor Press Association’s Best Book Award.

Above: At Kodiak Raspberry Island Lodge, anglers can catch all five species of salmon

that swim these waters. Right: There be monsters in outer Prince William Sound in the

vicinity of Port Ashton Lodge; halibut over 150 to 200 pounds are caught each season.

COURTESY KODIAK RASPBERRY ISLAND REMOTE LODGE (TOP LEFT AND OPPOSITE), DOUG OLANDER (TOP RIGHT), COURTESY AARON SPERBECK (BOTTOM)